1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to garage ventilators. More particularly, the present invention relates to louvered ventilators which fit within a standard garage door panel.
2. Description of Related Art
Ventilators for incorporation into garage doors are known. Many of them are mere screens and offer little security and no adjustability as to the degree of ventilation. These screen devices may have a separately installed inner backing plate to shut off the ventilation, or may fold up against solid panels of the garage door. Some must be entirely removed from the garage door when ventilation is not desired, such as in winter. Most present screen devices offer little resistance to forcible intrusion. It would be desirable to provide a garage ventilator which is rugged in construction to foil forcible intrusion, is adjustable between an open and a closed position for selective ventilation, and incorporates a screen for denying entrance of insects into the garage when in an open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,043, issued Mar. 29, 1983, to Sorenson describes a garage ventilator having a screen panel pivotally secured to the bottom of a sectional garage door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,087, issued Sep. 13, 1988 to Danley et al. describes a garage ventilator for fitting in a standard garage door panel which features fixed louvers and a backup screen for preventing entry of insects. The ventilator has a backup panel for closing off the ventilator when ventilation is not needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,104, issued Apr. 6, 1982, to Guttman describes an openable and closeable louvered panel operated by a crank for a door or window opening. No screen is provided for keeping out insects when the louvers are open.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention is a ventilator for installation in a garage door. It preferably fits in place of a standard garage door panel or into the panel. The ventilator includes a frame fitting into the door in place of a panel. The ventilator has openable and closeable louver slats exposed to the outside of the door and operated by a crank located on the inside of the door for adjustment of the louver slats to the desired position. A screen of appropriate mesh is installed on the frame on the inside of the garage, covering the inside such that insects may not enter the garage when the louver slats of the ventilator are open. The ventilator is preferably made of aluminum or other metal and is of sufficiently robust construction as to deter forcible intrusion, particularly when the ventilator is closed.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a ventilator for ventilating a garage which fits into the garage door.
It is another object of the invention to provide a ventilator as above which fits in place of a standard garage door panel in an aesthetic manner.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a ventilator as above having louver slats which may be adjusted between an open and a closed position.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a ventilator as above which has a crank accessible only from the inside of the garage for easily adjusting the ventilator.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a ventilator as above which incorporates a screen to exclude insects while the ventilator is open.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.